Kale salad with slivered Brussels sprouts and sesame dressing

I was thrilled to find kale in Hyderabad, finally, it is a green I love.

This salad is one that I thoroughly enjoyed. It's straightforward to make and incredibly healthy. The trick to this salad is to massage the kale leaves gently; this breaks down the cell structures and tenderises the leaves, allowing them to absorb the flavours in the dressing. The light Asian-style dressing and the poppyseeds are a perfect match with the crunchy Brussels sprouts. Yes salads should be this good, always!

This is probably my favourite Deborah Madison cookbook; I have almost all her fabulous cookbooks. Like this salad, the recipes are unique and full of flavours. I recommend any of her cookbooks, but this one stands out on my bookshelf.

For more delicious dishes from this cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

1 bunch Tuscan kale, also called Lacinato or Dragon kale

3 teaspoons + 1 teaspoon roasted Asian style sesame oil

Sea salt

6-8 Brussels sprouts

1 large garlic clove

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1 teaspoon light soy sauce

1 scallion, sliced thinly into circles

1 tablespoon sesame seeds, lightly toasted in a pan

Chili flakes

Large grain sea salt

Wash the kale thoroughly in three changes of water to remove all the grit. Slice the kale leaves from their tough stems. Alternatively, I hold the stem and pull the leaves through my fingers. Wherever the tough inner rib snaps is where the leaf is tender enough to eat. Roll the leaves and slice them thinly to make ribbons, then add them to a bowl.

Add the three teaspoons of sesame oil to the kale with the salt and gently massage the leaves for 4-7 minutes, depending on how tender your leaves are. You are breaking up the cells and making the leaves tender, and marinating the flavours of the oil and salt into the leaves. The leaves will turn a deep green and become soft under your fingers, evoking memories of all your massage sessions.

Clean the Brussels sprouts and cut into very fine ribbons; use a mandolin if needed.

Press the garlic through a press. Alternatively, mince it finely and make into a paste using the side of a knife. Mix with the rice wine vinegar and soy sauce.

To serve, arrange the massaged kale in a circle around the edge of a bowl. Fill the centre with the sliced Brussels sprouts. Drizzle the dressing all over. Decorate with the sliced scallions, sesame seeds and chilli flakes. It is a wonderful presentation, but before serving, toss the salad at the table so the dressing coats all the vegetables evenly. Have some large-grain sea salt available for guests who prefer it.